USGS Newsroom

Landsat 8 Satellite Begins Watch

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:00:00 EDT

WASHINGTON -- NASA transferred operational control Thursday of the Landsat 8 satellite to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in a ceremony in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The event marks the beginning of the satellite's mission to extend an unparalleled four-decade record of monitoring Earth's landscape from space. Landsat 8 is the latest in the Landsat series of remote-sensing satellites, which have been providing global coverage of landscape changes on Earth since 1972. The Landsat program is a joint effort between NASA and USGS.

NASA launched the satellite Feb. 11 as the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). Since then, NASA mission engineers and scientists, with USGS collaboration, have been putting the satellite through its paces -- steering it into its orbit, calibrating the detectors, and collecting test images. Now fully mission-certified, the satellite is under USGS operational control.

"Landsat is a centerpiece of NASA's Earth Science program," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden in Washington. "Landsat 8 carries on a long tradition of Landsat satellites that for more than 40 years have helped us to learn how Earth works, to understand how humans are affecting it and to make wiser decisions as stewards of this planet."

Beginning Thursday, USGS specialists will collect at least 400 Landsat 8 scenes every day from around the world to be processed and archived at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center in Sioux Falls. The newest satellite joins Landsat 7, which launched in 1999 and continues to collect images. Since 2008, USGS has provided more than 11 million current and historical Landsat images free of charge to users over the Internet.

"We are very pleased to work with NASA for the good of science and the American people," said U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell in Washington. "The Landsat program allows us all to have a common, easily accessible view of our planet. We are especially proud that Landsat images have not only been the starting points for some of the world’s best commercial innovations in earth imagery, but also are available free of charge."

Remote-sensing satellites such as the Landsat series help scientists observe the world beyond the power of human sight, monitor changes to the land that may have natural or human causes, and detect critical trends in the conditions of natural resources.

The 41-year Landsat record provides global coverage at a scale that impartially documents natural processes such as volcanic eruptions, glacial retreat and forest fires and shows large-scale human activities such as expanding cities, crop irrigation and forest clear-cuts. The Landsat Program is a sustained effort by the United States to provide direct societal benefits across a wide range of human endeavors including human and environmental health, energy and water management, urban planning, disaster recovery, and agriculture.

With Landsat 8 circling Earth 14 times a day, and in combination with Landsat 7, researchers will be able to use an improved frequency of data from both satellites. The two observation instruments aboard Landsat 8 feature improvements over their earlier counterparts while collecting information that is compatible with 41 years of land images from previous Landsat satellites.

Interior Appoints New Climate Change Advisory Committee

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 8 May 2013 12:31:13 EDT

Members to Provide Guidance on Adaptation Science Initiatives

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced the members of a newly created federal advisory committee who will provide guidance about the Interior Department's climate change adaptation science initiatives.

AMERICA'S GREAT OUTDOORS: USGS Economic Analysis of Anacostia River Shows Potential Value of Restoring Urban Streams Nationwide

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 2 May 2013 9:44:14 EDT

Case Study Demonstrates How Restoring a Stream Can Help Restore a Community

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The U.S. Geological Survey today released an analysis of the Watts Branch of the Anacostia River in Prince Georges County, Md. and Washington, D.C. that documents how restoration work on this urban tributary has had a substantial impact on the local economy, directly or indirectly accounting for 45 jobs, $2.6 million in local labor income and $3.4 million in value added to the local D.C. metropolitan area in 2011.

"The USGS study confirms the value of re-greening our urban landscapes around the nation," said David J. Hayes, Deputy Secretary of the Interior. "Restoring one of the most degraded urban streams in the Anacostia watershed while also addressing sewage infrastructure benefited a struggling local economy, provided an improved park and green space for residents, and enhanced wildlife habitat. Restoring a stream is helping restore a community and demonstrates the power of partnerships."

The Anacostia watershed is one of the priority areas for interagency cooperation in both President Obama's America's Great Outdoors Initiative and the Urban Waters Federal Partnership.

D.C. and federal agencies formed the Watts Branch restoration partnership in 2010 to restore a segment of one of the most urbanized watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay drainage basin. Completed in 2011, the restoration project was funded largely by the District of Columbia's Department of Environment and also carried out by the Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service along with the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington Water and Sewer and several local organizations.

The partnership has addressed both environmental degradation and sewage infrastructure needs of the Watts Branch, which originates in the Capitol Heights area of Prince George's County, flowing almost 5 miles to the Anacostia, which drains to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.

The analysis, conducted by USGS economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Elizabeth Myrick, found that restoring Watts Branch had a substantial impact on the local economy. The restoration directly accounted for 26 jobs and more than $1.5 million in local labor income including salaries, wages and benefits and $1.5 million in local value added (the contribution of expenditures to Gross Domestic Product). Moreover, the restoration indirectly supported an additional 19 jobs, providing an additional $1.1 million in labor income and $1.9 in value added to the local economy. Restoring Watts Branch contributed more than $3 million to a struggling local economy.

"This restoration project shows the fiscal and transformative power of re-greening urban areas—supporting local jobs, upgrading infrastructure, and helping improve the local economy," said Hayes, noting that the Watts study is one of a number of case studies on the impact of restoration projects in other parts of the country. "With a roughly $2 trillion backlog in infrastructure needs nationwide, our country has a tremendous opportunity to advance both economic and environmental goals through other restoration projects."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners not only restored the eroded stream channel, which was depositing nearly 1,500 tons of sediment into the Anacostia watershed each year, but also relocated and improved sewer lines to address and prevent future sewage leaks. Infrastructure and environmental restoration improved water quality, increased floodplain storage, reduced erosion and improved in-stream habitat to support fish like American eel, alewife and American shad. Local residents regained a beautiful urban stream, and habitat along the stream also improved for birds such as warblers, barred owls and great blue herons, to name just a few.

Moreover, local communities have seen utility and street upgrades. A local nonprofit, Washington Parks and People, has begun using Watts Branch as an outdoor classroom to prepare an emerging workforce for jobs in urban and community forestry.

"The Watt's Branch restoration turned a degraded stream into an urban sanctuary within an underserved community," the analysis concluded.

President Obama's America’s Great Outdoors Initiative is a conservation agenda for the 21^st century. It underscores how urban parks and community green spaces can contribute to the social, physical, economic and emotional health of America's communities. The Anacostia is one of the priority areas chosen under America’s Great Outdoors.

The Anacostia River Watershed also is one of the original pilot project areas of the interagency Urban Waters Federal Partnership led by EPA. Through this partnership, the Interior Department and 10 other federal departments work to reconnect urban areas—particularly those that are overburdened or economically distressed—with their waterways through improved collaboration.

USGS Releases New Oil and Gas Assessment for Bakken and Three Forks Formations

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:59:32 EDT

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) today released an updated oil and gas resource assessment for the Bakken Formation and a new assessment for the Three Forks Formation in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana.

First Images Released From Newest Earth Observation Satellite

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:01:00 EDT

WASHINGTON -- NASA and the Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have released the first images from the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) satellite, which was launched Feb. 11.

The natural-color images show the intersection of the United States Great Plains and the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming and Colorado. In the images, green coniferous forests in the mountains stretch down to the brown plains with Denver and other cities strung south to north.

LDCM acquired the images at about 1:40 p.m. EDT March 18. The satellite's Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) instruments observed the scene simultaneously. The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., processed the data.

"We are very excited about this first collection of simultaneous imagery," said Jim Irons, LDCM project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "These images confirm we have two healthy, functioning sensors that survived the rigors of launch and insertion into Earth orbit."

Since launch, LDCM has been going through on-orbit testing. The mission operations team has completed its review of all major spacecraft and instrument subsystems, and performed multiple spacecraft attitude maneuvers to verify the ability to accurately point the instruments.

The two LDCM sensors collect data simultaneously over the same ground path. OLI collects light reflected off the surface of Earth in nine different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, including bands of visible light and near-infrared and short-wave-infrared bands, which are beyond human vision. TIRS collects data at two longer wavelength thermal infrared bands that measure heat emitted from the surface.

By looking at different band combinations, scientists can distinguish features on the land surface. These features include forests and how they respond to natural and human-caused disturbances, and the health of agricultural crops and how much water they use. Data from LDCM will extend a continuous, 40-year-long data record of Earth's surface from previous Landsat satellites, an unmatched, impartial perspective that allows scientists to study how landscapes all across the world change through time.

"These first scenes from the new Landsat satellite continue the remarkable output from the Landsat program with better, more useful imagery and information," said Matthew C. Larsen, associate director for climate and land use change at the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Va. "We are gratified that this productive partnership between USGS and NASA has maintained the continuity and utility of this essential satellite tool, providing the foundation for land and water management around the globe."

As planned, LDCM currently is flying in an orbit slightly lower than its operational orbit of 438 miles (705 kilometers) above Earth's surface. As the spacecraft's thrusters raise its orbit, the NASA-USGS team will take the opportunity to collect imagery while LDCM is flying under Landsat 7, also operating in orbit. Measurements collected simultaneously from both satellites will allow the team to cross-calibrate the LDCM sensors with Landsat 7's Enhanced Thematic Mapper-Plus instrument.

"So far, our checkout activities have gone extremely well," said Ken Schwer, LDCM project manager at Goddard. "The mission operations team has done a tremendous job getting us to the point of imaging Earth." During the next few weeks, this team will calibrate the instruments and verify they meet performance specifications.

After its checkout and commissioning phase is complete, LDCM will begin its normal operations in May. At that time, NASA will hand over control of the satellite to the USGS, which will operate it throughout its planned five-year mission life. The satellite will be renamed Landsat 8. USGS will process data from OLI and TIRS and add it to the Landsat Data Archive at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, where it will be distributed for free via the Internet.

Visit LDCM First Images to view the images.

For further information about LDCM, visit LDCM Mission.

For status and technical information about all Landsat satellites, visit Landsat Missions.

USGS Cancels March Public Lecture in Reston

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Fri, 1 Mar 2013 16:07:53 EDT

RESTON, Va. -- The U.S. Geological Survey is cancelling its March 6 public lecture, "Space Weather and Magnetic Storms," due to travel restrictions the agency has implemented in preparation for the potential sequestration.

The scheduled speaker had planned to travel to Reston from Denver to meet with headquarters staff and do the lecture, but the new restrictions prohibit all but mission critical travel.

In addition to the travel restrictions, in preparation for the potential sequestration the USGS has implemented a hiring freeze; eliminated or significantly reduced participation in all scientific conferences; cancelled all non-mandatory, non-mission critical training; directed a review of contracts and grants to determine which should be delayed, re-scoped, or terminated; and may have to furlough employees for an undetermined amount of time.

The "Science in Action" public lecture series in Reston began in 2009, familiarizing local, web-based and twitter audiences with science issues that are meaningful to their daily lives. Traditionally held the first Wednesday of the month, the typical lecture has an in person audience of approximately 125 people, although numbers frequently go significantly higher. The web-based audience brings an additional 500 to 1000 people viewing a screencast of the lecture or listening to the audio at a later time. The USGSLive Twitter feed of the lecture also reaches an additional 8500 subscribers.

While the November 2011 lecture on the Virginia Earthquake drew the largest in person audience to date, with 320 people in attendance, the April 2012 lecture on Shale Gas, Hydraulic Fracturing, and Induced Earthquakes drew the largest audience on the web. That lecture was viewed by more than 13,000 people on YouTube, and also aired on C-Span.

The USGS will re-evaluate the future of its public lecture series in Reston as the budget picture becomes more clear.

Interior Releases Study of Carbon Storage and Sequestration in Western Ecosystems as Part of National Assessment

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 5 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EDT

Natural carbon storage by forests, grasslands, wetlands helps counter effects of nation�s carbon emissions; Study finds western U.S. sequesters nearly one and half times as much carbon as Great Plains

WASHINGTON, DC—Forests, grasslands and shrublands and other ecosystems in the West sequester nearly 100 million tons (90.9 million metric tons) of carbon each year, according to a Department of the Interior report released today.

Birds at Sea and Offshore Wind Energy

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 4 Dec 2012 11:59:28 EDT

Topic of Free Lecture Wednesday

Reston, Va. – Offshore wind energy development and migratory birds is the topic of a free public lecture Wednesday, December 5, at 7 p.m. at the U.S. Geological Survey National Center in Reston, Va.

Titled, "Birds at Sea and Offshore Wind Energy," the lecture takes place in a federal facility and a valid photo ID is required for entry by attendees 18 years of age and older. Attendees should plan to arrive at least 15 to 20 minutes early to process through security.

For this lecture, USGS scientists Alicia Berlin and Allan O'Connell will discuss efforts to determine the potential effects of offshore wind energy development on more than 60 different sea-bird species along the Atlantic coast. USGS collaborative research on the migratory routes and patterns of sea birds is being used to help inform decisions on potential locations of wind farms in Atlantic waters.

For more information and directions visit the Public Lecture Series website.

Those unable to attend the lecture in person can follow it live on Twitter @USGSLive

These evening events are free to the public and intended to familiarize a general audience with science issues that are meaningful to their daily lives. USGS speakers are selected for their ability and enthusiasm to share their expertise with an audience that may be unfamiliar with the topic.

The series provides the public an opportunity to interact with USGS scientists and ask questions about recent developments in Natural Hazards; Water; Energy Minerals and Environmental Health; Climate and Land Use Change; Ecosystems; and Core Science Systems. Ultimately, the goal is to create a better understanding of the importance and value of USGS science in action.

Media Advisory: Briefing on Effects of Urban Development on Streams

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:54:31 EDT

Briefing on Effects of Urban Development on Streams

What:	USGS will brief Congress, the media and the public on a new study that concludes that loss of sensitive species in streams begins to occur at the initial stages of urban development and that streams are more sensitive to development than previously understood. Nine metropolitan areas of the United States were studied: Portland, Oregon; Salt Lake City, Utah; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh, North Carolina; Boston, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; Dallas, Texas; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Why:	Contaminants, habitat destruction, and increasing streamflow flashiness resulting from urban development can degrade stream ecosystems and cause degradation downstream with adverse effects on biological communities and on economically valuable resources, such as fisheries and tourism. Understanding how stream ecosystems are impacted by urban development can assist in the development of management actions to protect and rehabilitate urban stream ecosystems.
Who:	Allegra Cangelosi, President, Northeast-Midwest Institute, moderator Gerard McMahon, lead scientist on this study and Director of the Department of the Interior Southeast Climate Science Center Ronald Bowen, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Director of Public Works William Stack, former Baltimore City Chief of Surface Water Management and current Center for Watershed Protection Deputy Director of Programs
Where:	Capitol Visitors' Center SVC 201-00, Washington, D.C.
When:	Friday, November 30, 2012, 10:00 a.m.
Sponsors:	Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) Water Environment Federation Northeast Midwest Institute

New Evidence Shows Power of East Coast Earthquakes

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 6 Nov 2012 8:30:00 EDT

Virginia Earthquake Triggered Landslides at Great Distances

Earthquake shaking in the eastern United States can travel much farther and cause damage over larger areas than previously thought.

U.S. Geological Survey scientists found that last year's magnitude 5.8 earthquake in Virginia triggered landslides at distances four times farther—and over an area 20 times larger—than previous research has shown.

"We used landslides as an example and direct physical evidence to see how far-reaching shaking from east coast earthquakes could be," said Randall Jibson, USGS scientist and lead author of this study. "Not every earthquake will trigger landslides, but we can use landslide distributions to estimate characteristics of earthquake energy and how far regional ground shaking could occur."

"Scientists are confirming with empirical data what more than 50 million people in the eastern U.S. experienced firsthand: this was one powerful earthquake," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "Calibrating the distance over which landslides occur may also help us reach back into the geologic record to look for evidence of past history of major earthquakes from the Virginia seismic zone."

This study will help inform earthquake hazard and risk assessments as well as emergency preparedness, whether for landslides or other earthquake effects.

This study also supports existing research showing that although earthquakes are less frequent in the East, their damaging effects can extend over a much larger area as compared to the western United States.

The research is being presented today at the Geological Society of America conference, and will be published in the December 2012 issue of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

The USGS found that the farthest landslide from the 2011 Virginia earthquake was 245 km (150 miles) from the epicenter. This is by far the greatest landslide distance recorded from any other earthquake of similar magnitude. Previous studies of worldwide earthquakes indicated that landslides occurred no farther than 60 km (36 miles) from the epicenter of a magnitude 5.8 earthquake.

"What makes this new study so unique is that it provides direct observational evidence from the largest earthquake to occur in more than 100 years in the eastern U.S," said Jibson. "Now that we know more about the power of East Coast earthquakes, equations that predict ground shaking might need to be revised."

It is estimated that approximately one-third of the U.S. population could have felt last year's earthquake in Virginia, more than any earthquake in U.S. history. About 148,000 people reported their ground-shaking experiences caused by the earthquake on the USGS "Did You Feel It?" website. Shaking reports came from southeastern Canada to Florida and as far west as Texas.

In addition to the great landslide distances recorded, the landslides from the 2011 Virginia earthquake occurred in an area 20 times larger than expected from studies of worldwide earthquakes. Scientists plotted the landslide locations that were farthest out and then calculated the area enclosed by those landslides. The observed landslides from last year's Virginia earthquake enclose an area of about 33,400 km², while previous studies indicated an expected area of about 1,500 km² from an earthquake of similar magnitude.

"The landslide distances from last year's Virginia earthquake are remarkable compared to historical landslides across the world and represent the largest distance limit ever recorded," said Edwin Harp, USGS scientist and co-author of this study. "There are limitations to our research, but the bottom line is that we now have a better understanding of the power of East Coast earthquakes and potential damage scenarios."

The difference between seismic shaking in the East versus the West is due in part to the geologic structure and rock properties that allow seismic waves to travel farther without weakening.

Learn more about the 2011 central Virginia earthquake.

Landslides triggered from the 2011 magnitude 5.8 earthquake in Virginia occurred at far greater distances than expected. The farthest landslide was 245 km from the epicenter; based on previous studies of worldwide earthquakes, landsliding would have been expected to occur no farther than 60 km from the epicenter. ((High resolution image)

Did You Feel It? East vs West: This image illustrates how earthquakes are felt over much larger areas in the eastern U.S. than those west of the Rocky Mountains. The map compares USGS "Did You Feel It?" data from the magnitude 5.8 earthquake on August 23, 2011 in central Virginia (green) to data from an earthquake of similar magnitude and depth in California (red). ((High resolution image)

Media Advisory: Preparing for Future Earthquakes

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 8:00:00 EDT

Reston, Va.—Are you prepared for future earthquakes? Earthquake experts from the USGS and FEMA will be with students at Langston Hughes Middle School as they participate in the Great ShakeOut earthquake drill on October 18, 2012.

During the drill, participants will "drop, cover, and hold on" to practice how to protect themselves during an earthquake. Millions of people have participated in ShakeOut drills since 2008, and this will be the first year a drill is officially held in the southeast. Earthquakes pose a risk to more than 165 million people in 37 states. Last year's earthquake in Virginia was a recent reminder that we all need to be prepared.

What:	Media are invited to join students at Langston Hughes Middle School as they participate in the Great ShakeOut earthquake drill. Presentations will follow from the USGS and FEMA on earthquake hazards and preparedness.
When:	Thursday, October 18, 2012, 10:18 a.m. Media should arrive by 9:30 a.m., with the event lasting until 11:00 a.m.
Where:	Langston Hughes Middle School 11401 Ridge Heights Road Reston, VA 20191
Who:	Marcia McNutt, USGS Director Michael Mahoney, FEMA Geophysicist Bill Leith, USGS Senior Science Advisor for Earthquake and Geologic Hazards
RSVP:	Media must RSVP by October 17 to Jessica Robertson at jrobertson@usgs.gov or 703-648-6624.

Additional information—drill manuals, tips on earthquake preparedness, news media resources—are available on the Great ShakeOut website.

Learn about the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.

Read a USGS feature story on ShakeOut.

Media Advisory: USGS Hosts Congressional Briefing: Earthquake Early Warning

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 10:30:00 EDT

Note: We will be tweeting live from this event through the @USGSLive account.

You are invited to join the USGS for a congressional briefing titled, “Earthquake Early Warning: Every Second Counts.”

Imagine if doctors had time to stop delicate procedures before an earthquake. And if emergency responders had a few extra moments to gear up, airplane landings could be postponed, trains slowed, and people could move to safer locations. Come learn how the USGS and its partners are helping provide critical seconds of notification through an earthquake early warning system in the United States.

When:	Friday, September 28, 2012
Where:	This briefing will be held twice in Washington, DC. 10:00 a.m. in 1334 Longworth House Office Building 2:00 p.m. in 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Speakers:	Richard Allen Director, Berkeley Seismological Laboratory Professor, Dept. Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley Bill Leith Senior Science Advisor for Earthquake and Geologic Hazards, U.S. Geological Survey Chris Terzich Chair, Regional Consortium Coordinating Council
Host:	Seismological Society of America

Learn more about the Earthquake Early Warning System.

Learn more information about the USGS Congressional Briefing Series.

Increased Sediment and Nutrients Delivered to Bay as Susquehanna Reservoirs Near Sediment Capacity

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 9:00:00 EDT

This USGS report can be found online.

Reservoirs near the mouth of the Susquehanna River just above Chesapeake Bay are nearly at capacity in their ability to trap sediment. As a result, large storms are already delivering increasingly more suspended sediment and nutrients to the Bay, which may negatively impact restoration efforts.

Too many nutrients rob the Bay of oxygen needed for fish and, along with sediment, cloud the waters, disturbing the habitat of underwater plants crucial for aquatic life and waterfowl.

"The upstream reservoirs have served previously to help reduce nutrient pollutant loads to the Chesapeake Bay by trapping sediment and the pollutants attached to them behind dams," explained USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "Now that these reservoirs are filling to capacity with sediment, they have become much less effective at preventing nutrient-rich sediments from reaching the Bay. Further progress in meeting the goals for improving water quality in the Chesapeake will be more difficult to achieve as a result."

"It has been understood for many years that as the reservoirs on the Lower Susquehanna River fill with sediment, there will be a substantial decrease in their ability to limit the influx of sediment and nutrients, especially phosphorus, to the Chesapeake Bay," said Bob Hirsch, research hydrologist and author of the report. "Analysis of USGS water quality data from the Susquehanna River, particularly the data from Tropical Storm Lee in September 2011, provides evidence that the increases in nutrient and sediment delivery are not just a theoretical issue for future consideration, but are already underway."

According to a new USGS report, the Susquehanna River delivered more phosphorus and sediment to the Bay during 2011 than from than any other year since monitoring began in 1978. Flooding from Tropical Storm Lee made up a large fraction of the Susquehanna River's inputs to the Bay for both 2011 and over the last decade. During the flooding the Susquehanna River delivered about 2 percent of total water to the Bay for the last decade; however, it delivered 5 percent of the nitrogen, 22 percent of the phosphorus, and 39 percent of the suspended sediment.

According to the report, from 1996-2011 total phosphorus moving into the Bay has increased by 55 percent, and suspended sediment has increased by 97 percent. Over this time period, total nitrogen decreased by about 3 percent overall, but showed increases during large events.

These results represent the combined effects of the changes in sediment within the reservoirs, as well as changes in the sources of these constituents upstream. Another recent USGS study reported about a 25 percent reduction in nutrients and sediment concentrations just upstream of the reservoirs, reflecting the benefit of actions to improve water quality in the upper portion of the Susquehanna River watershed.

"Progress on reducing loadings of these pollutants from the Susquehanna River Basin depends on efforts made to limit the loadings in the watershed, as well as the effects of the downstream reservoirs," said Hirsch. "In general, the changes we have observed in the reservoirs and the resulting greater impact of storms are already overshadowing the ongoing progress being made in the watershed to reduce the amount of nutrients and sediments entering the Bay."

Sediment and nutrient loadings from the Susquehanna River are crucial to understanding the status and progress of water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. On average, the Susquehanna River contributes nearly 41 percent of the nitrogen, 25 percent of the phosphorus, and 27 percent of the sediment load to the Bay.

"The findings of this USGS study increase the urgency of identifying and implementing effective management options for addressing the filling reservoirs," said Bruce Michael, director, Resource Assessment Service for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. "The Lower Susquehanna River Watershed Assessment study, a 3-year partnership of federal, state, private sector, and non-governmental organizations, is developing potential management options for extending the sediment-holding capacity of the reservoirs. The USGS information is critical for guiding the strategies undertaken by the Chesapeake Bay Program to assure that the actions taken in the watershed will serve to meet restoration goals."

The lower reaches of the Susquehanna River, just upstream from Chesapeake Bay, include three reservoirs: Safe Harbor Dam and Holtwood Dam in Pennsylvania and Conowingo Dam in Maryland. Over the past several decades these reservoirs have been gradually filling with sediment.

While the reservoirs are filling, they are a trap for sediment and the nutrients attached to that sediment. As a reservoir approaches its sediment storage capacity, it can't hold as much sediment. When reservoirs are near capacity, significant flow events, such as flooding from Tropical Storm Lee, have greater potential to cause scour, or the sudden removal of large amounts of sediment, allowing that sediment and attached nutrients to flow out of the reservoirs and into the Bay.

Additionally, as the reservoir becomes filled, the channel that water flows through gets smaller. As a result, for any given amount of flow, the water moves through the channel faster, further increasing the likelihood of scour. Higher velocities also result in lower rates of settling, decreasing the amount of sediment that will be deposited.

This new report is based on 34 years of monitoring streamflow and water quality for the Susquehanna River by the USGS and its state and local partners. The report compares nutrients and sediment behavior during high flow events, such as the flood after Tropical Storm Lee in September of 2011, the high flows of March 2011, and Hurricane Ivan in 2004, with high flow conditions of the past.

This research was conducted as part of The USGS National Research Program in Water Resources and the USGS Chesapeake Bay Ecosystems Program. The report, titled Flux of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment from the Susquehanna River Basin to the Chesapeake Bay during Tropical Storm Lee, September 2011, as an indicator of the effects of reservoir sedimentation on water quality, can be found online.

Information about the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed Assessment is available online.

Results of monitoring in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are available online.

Media Advisory: Anniversary of Magnitude 5.8 Central Virginia Earthquake

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 8:00:00 EDT

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- August 23, 2012 marks the one year anniversary of the M5.8 earthquake that was centered in Louisa County, Virginia. To commemorate the event, Virginia, Maryland, and DC officials are working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the National Park Service (NPS) to hold a press conference at the Washington Monument. This event comes on the heels of National Preparedness Month, an effort to engage the public in disaster preparedness activities.

At the press conference, senior government officials will discuss lingering effects of the earthquake and progress made in rebuilding and recovery efforts; current understanding of earthquake threat and likelihood of future events; and participation in a regional/national "ShakeOut" earthquake drill involving millions of people.

WHERE:

Grassy area facing the Washington Monument in between 14^th and 15^th Streets in Washington, DC

WHEN:

August 23, 2012 from 10:30AM - 11:00AM

WHO:

Brett Burdick, Deputy Director, Virginia Department of Emergency Management
Chris Geldart, Director, DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency
Tim Manning, Deputy Administrator, FEMA
David L. Miller, Associate Administrator, FEMA
Marcia McNutt, Director, USGS
Jim Wilkinson, Executive Director, Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium
Bob Vogel, Superintendent, National Mall and Memorial Parks, NPS

All media are invited to attend; press packets will be made available. Side interviews will be allowed following the press conference. Audio mult box will be provided.

Limited parking for microwave or satellite trucks is on eastbound Jefferson Drive between 14th and 15th Streets in the far left-hand lane. Parking is on a first-come, first-serve basis, and is not guaranteed. There is room for a maximum of six live vehicles parked bumper to bumper. There is no room for any news crew cars or personal vehicle parking in this area. Suggested parking for crew and personal vehicles is on Jefferson Drive east of 14th Street.

USGS Releases U.S. Oil & Gas Reserve Growth Estimates

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:34:18 EDT

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released a new estimate for potential additions to domestic oil and gas reserves from reserve growth in discovered, conventional accumulations in the United States. The USGS estimates that the mean potential undiscovered, conventional reserve additions for the United States total 32 billion barrels (bb) of oil, 291 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas, and 10 bb of natural gas liquids, constituting about 10 percent of the overall U.S. oil and gas endowment.